Being a bowhunter I am in no way a expert on rifles. But with that said I just purchased a .300 Ultra Mag. From my reserch it is true that anywhere from 1000 to 2000 shots you will burn out a barrel. But even then it will still be accurate enough for almost 90% of the shots taken on game. It just won't shoot sub-moa. If you handload with reduced loads the barrel will last longer of course. Hope this helps, thanks and let us know what you decide.